Bailey lawyers take ‘significant’ new details to court

IAN BAILEY’S legal team is to bring “significant” new information before the Supreme Court this morning in a bid to block his extradition to France.

Thu, 10 Nov, 2011 - 00:00

Conor Ryan and Vivion Kilfeather

The information came to the attention of his lawyers last Monday and is said to go to the heart of the investigation into the killing of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork in 1996.

It is said the details emerged separately from the work of French investigators. France has applied to extradite Mr Bailey, aged 53, for questioning under a European arrest warrant.

Mr Bailey’s lawyers will bring the matter to the Supreme Court after 10am.

Mr Bailey is due to have his full appeal heard before the Supreme Court on Monday. However, there has been speculation that this will not go ahead.

State lawyers have told the Chief Justice there may be “some developments outside the control of the state” which may affect the appeal.

Martin Giblin SC, for Mr Bailey, told the court last week his side was ready to go on, subject to a “discrete issue of fact” about which the state had been told.